Although only 30 pages long, this book spoke clearly to the students who read it. If You Could See Me Now! is a compilation of five women's stories about the abusive situations that touched them. These women lived with physical, mental or verbal abuse and survived.

Perhaps because of the bland cover, students didn't initially pick this book to read. However, after a brief introduction to the book, a man in my class asked to read it. I noticed he quietly passed it to Shelley, a woman he had become friends with during the term. The following day, Shelley wrote: "I like the book and I can relate to what the women went through. You think you are stupid and this is what married life is about." Later she continued: "I say good for them for getting out in time and adjusting to a new life."

This book had found an audience! Within a week it had circulated among six students, men and women. Each morning there was informal discussion about the stories and how important it was that everyone read them. Students liked the book because it was short and explained clearly what abusive situations are and are not. They felt it would inspire people who find themselves in similar situations to realise that they are not alone and encourage them to find help.

The layout of the booklet is clear with plenty of white space, good font size and spacing. Plus the editors have broken the stories into manageable sections of narrative. Unfortunately, there aren't any pictures in the book to help break up the pages of print.

The most obvious recommendation came from students when they asked how they could purchase If You Could See Me Now! Six copies were bought, a few for themselves and a couple for friends. As a Nanaimo student said: "I'd recommend it to anyone who is interested in a relationship and what not to do if you want the relationship to grow."